Deciding on a stringed instrument

[Nirinjan]

I have decided to send my daughter Devta to the Waldorf school starting next week and she is required to learn a stringed instrument (violin, viola or cello). I know next to nothing about those kind of instruments so I am having a hard time helping her make a decision. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am tempted by a violin just for the size issue, but open to other options. Help?

[davidah]

I vote for violin based solely on logistics. They are cheaper to buy, cheaper to rent, and easier to carry. It's odd to start on viola -- most people start on violin and then switch to viola later. Cello is nice but a PITA to carry to school and home (if she will need to do that frequently).

Have fun!
Davidah

[saffron]

I vote for violin based solely on logistics. They are cheaper to buy, cheaper to rent, and easier to carry. It's odd to start on viola -- most people start on violin and then switch to viola later. Cello is nice but a PITA to carry to school and home (if she will need to do that frequently).


Yep. If she doesn't have a strong preference for viola or cello, I would go with violin for these reasons. Genevieve has been playing violin for 3 years and she loves it. I'm excited for Devta! :-)

[elizabeth]

I have decided to send my daughter Devta to the Waldorf school starting next week and she is required to learn a stringed instrument (violin, viola or cello). I know next to nothing about those kind of instruments so I am having a hard time helping her make a decision. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am tempted by a violin just for the size issue, but open to other options. Help?

xxxxxx

[threecubs]

I agree that the violin can be a great starting point. I will say though, that my daughter loves viola. There aren't that many around, and she loves being unique from her brother. Kaleb did start on violin, and learned viola on his own. He does loves the viola, and wishes sometimes that that had been his first instrument. It's only slightly bigger than the violin. The are highly in demand in many orchestras! :-)

[riversprite]

I have decided to send my daughter Devta to the Waldorf school starting next week and she is required to learn a stringed instrument (violin, viola or cello). I know next to nothing about those kind of instruments so I am having a hard time helping her make a decision. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am tempted by a violin just for the size issue, but open to other options. Help?

I'll put my vote in for cello, just because it's so so beautiful and cellists are way cool :-P. :thumbsup:

[macaquinha]

I have decided to send my daughter Devta to the Waldorf school starting next week and she is required to learn a stringed instrument (violin, viola or cello). I know next to nothing about those kind of instruments so I am having a hard time helping her make a decision. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am tempted by a violin just for the size issue, but open to other options. Help?

My kids play viola and cello, so I have to say my bias is for the lower instruments. A small viola is no bigger than a small violin, and a half-size cello, while certainly bigger, is not too much of a pain to schlep around. The lower instruments sound better, too -- they aren't nearly as squeaky as a violin can be (especially when played by a beginner :-P). It's true that many violists start as violinists, but not all -- they are different enough that it can be hard to switch.

Violin music is written in treble clef, viola in alto clef, and cello in bass clef. Learning to read mutiple clefs is a huge advantage, but learning to read only alto clef (which is rare otherwise) might be considered a disadvantage.

Does Devta have an opinion? Both my kids wanted to play their specific instruments, and I think it helps to have some investment in what you're playing.

I'm sure she'll have fun no matter what she plays!

[macaquinha]

I'll put my vote in for cello, just because it's so so beautiful and cellists are way cool :-P. :thumbsup:

Thank you (on behalf of my three-quarter-size cellist). :-P

[Hawthorne]

I agree that the violin can be a great starting point. I will say though, that my daughter loves viola. There aren't that many around, and she loves being unique from her brother. Kaleb did start on violin, and learned viola on his own. He does loves the viola, and wishes sometimes that that had been his first instrument. It's only slightly bigger than the violin. The are highly in demand in many orchestras! :-)

Viola is also one of the most hauntingly beautiful instruments ever, IMO. I've been tempted to pick it up myself.

[Nirinjan]

Thanks everyone so much for all the input. She decided for now to learn the violin, but after listening to a bunch of cello music on Wikipedia I secretly want her to take up cello. Mostly so she can be way cool and maybe some of it will rub off on me. :-P

We went and rented one for her from a really nice violin shop and it turns out the owner of the shop and the guy who helped us sends his son to the Waldorf school as well.